(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus for a vehicle and, particularly, relates to an apparatus for determining a tendency of rollover of the vehicle.
(2) Description of Related Art
A Japanese PCT Application Publication (tokuhyou) No. 2004-534694 published on Nov. 18, 2004 (which corresponds to WO 03/008242 A1 published on Jan. 30, 2003 and corresponds to a U.S. Pat. No. 7,149,614 issued on Dec. 12, 2006) exemplifies a previously proposed vehicular control apparatus which determines the tendency of rollover of the vehicle. In the disclosed control apparatus of the above-described Japanese PCT Application Publication No. 2004-534694, a variable representing a lateral dynamic characteristic of the vehicle is prepared using a lateral acceleration of the vehicle and the tendency of rollover of the vehicle is determined depending upon whether the value of the variable is equal to or larger than a threshold value.